Extra-alarm fire struck out at Solo Cup factory on Southwest Side

Firefighters on the scene at the Solo Cup factory near the Ford City mall. (Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune)

About 200 employees were evacuated from the Solo Cup Co. factory in the city's Ford City neighborhood as firefighters battled an extra-alarm fire there, authorities said.

About 150 firefighters and paramedics responded to the blaze at 7575 S. Kostner Ave. which began at about 4:20 a.m. and was contained inside the building by 5 a.m., said Larry Langford, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman. The fire was declared under control about 6:15 a.m.

The fire was on and under the factory roof in the duct system and difficult to reach, he said. He said the fire will be ruled accidental. There were no injuries, Langford said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The factory is more than a city block in length, Langford said. It is located near the Ford City shopping center.

Warming buses were on the scene for the employees who had been evacuated.